[Event Report] Board Fellow Program Gathering 2024
A certain day in April 2024.
A gathering was held for participants of the Board Fellow Program that we, the general incorporated association World in You, have been conducting for three years since 2021.
The Board Fellow Program is a six-month practical, experiential program where business leaders and non-profit management teams refine leadership that brings impact to society through essential discussions and collaboration on the management of social issue-solving projects.
The Board Fellow Program has been refined with each passing term: the first in 2021, the second in 2022, and the third in 2023. The board in this program refers to decision-making bodies within organizations, such as boards of directors or executive boards.
To date, this program has fostered a foundation for collaboration and emergence across sectors, bringing together board members and management from non-profit organizations such as NPOs and non-profit corporations with people from diverse sectors, including corporate executives, sustainability/CSR managers from major companies, future executive candidates, new business planners, lawyers, accountants, legislators, university professors, representatives of non-profit organizations, and graduate students, to learn about management and governance together.
On the other hand, due to constraints such as the COVID-19 pandemic, we had not been able to provide a venue for in-person interaction among participants across different terms until now.
Therefore, we decided to hold this gathering to invite participants from the first, second, and third terms and prepare a space where new relationships and collaborations could be formed.
In this event report, we would like to summarize the gathering while also touching upon the background of how we at World in You came to implement the Board Fellow Program.
About World in You
With the vision of “A world where anyone, from anywhere, can exert their power to create a better society,” World in You was established as World in Asia (WiA) in the wake of the 2011 Great East Japan Earthquake.
At the time of its establishment, we worked to contribute to the promotion of sustainable, long-term impactful activities through management support for social entrepreneurs working on reconstruction and new social creation in disaster-stricken areas, building networks that can co-create with business leaders and people with diverse backgrounds from Japan and the U.S., and developing human resources and organizational foundations.
After that, following the change of representative director from the previous representative to Mio Yamamoto in July 2013, we continued our activities while renaming ourselves to World in Tohoku (WIT) in 2014 and World in You (WIY) in 2022, leading to the present.
World in You means “the world that expands within you.” At the same time, there are various worlds within various people around you that you may not have noticed or been aware of yet.
Since the establishment of the organization, while changing our areas of activity and content, we have consistently worked to resonate with organizations and individuals acting with a social mission to work together, and to create opportunities for people with diverse experiences and expertise to engage across various boundaries.
Meeting people across various boundaries expands the world (frameworks of thought, values, and worldviews) that exists within each of us.
And while sharing each other's worlds may feel uncomfortable at first, overcoming that discomfort creates a stance of respect for different positions, environments, and perspectives, and generates new possibilities for the future that did not exist before.
The Board Fellow Program was also born against the backdrop of such thoughts, and has been implemented as a project to realize the following three perspectives.
Strengthening NPOs
Promoting the improvement of management and decision-making levels and strengthening relationships with different sectors
Corporate Evolution
Promoting collaboration with people with diverse sectors, expertise, and experience for sustainable management
Demonstration of Individual Agency
Promoting the perception of social issues as one's own and collaboration with people of diverse values and positions
What is the importance of board & governance?
Regarding the origins of the Board Fellow Program, Yamamoto reflected on it in a previous note article as follows:
I have met many social entrepreneurs who are working with great passion, but I have also seen that in the early stages of establishment, most organizations are run by a single representative or a very small core group, which often leads to burnout and various other problems. I thought it would be great if there were more 'partners in decision-making' who could deeply understand the organization and its representative, and combine diverse perspectives for the sake of the organization's mission, so that the organization's leaders could make better decisions for the organization.
I thought it would be great if there were more 'partners in decision-making' who could deeply understand the organization and its representative, and combine diverse perspectives for the sake of the organization's mission, so that the organization's leaders could make better decisions for the organization.
It was around that time that Hideyuki Inoue, a fellow founding member of the organization, introduced me to 'Governance as Leadership'.
This book introduces the diverse roles that a board plays... such as providing tangible and intangible resources necessary for an organization's growth, shifting focus modes according to the organization's growth stage, and contributing to the organization's sustainability and value creation by engaging in decision-making while reflecting and considering the perspectives of multiple stakeholders.
Yamamoto himself also realized the importance of the differences in the board's roles and presence at different stages of organizational growth, having taken over the organization from the previous representative and revamped the board members at that time.
Since the concept of the Board Fellow Program began to be drawn up in 2014, while deepening the exploration of board & governance, WIT (at the time) published the Japanese translation of 'Governance as Leadership', titled 'Governance for Nonprofit Organizations' from Eiji Press in January 2020.
The Board Fellow Program was born with this book as its foundation.
The Board Fellow Program to date
The following 10 organizations have participated in the Board Fellow Program.
1st Term Theme
'Realizing a society where women can continue to demonstrate their true potential even after giving birth'
・NPO Kizuna Mail Project
・Certified NPO Nobel
・NPO Madre Bonita
2nd Term Theme
"Women's work styles that allow each individual to continue to play an active role in society, tailored to diverse ways of living and life stages"
・NPO Arrow Arrow
・Non-profit Corporation Polaris
・NPO Mama Work Research Institute・Work Step Co., Ltd.(Participating as a group company)
3rd Term Theme
"Building a society where young people with diverse backgrounds and circumstances can expand their options and demonstrate their inherent potential"
・NPO Sanku-sha
・NPO Waffle
・NPO WELgee
As of the writing of this event report, the 1st Term Event Report and the 1st to 2nd Term Event Report have been compiled.
In addition, the Board Fellow Program has been updating its implementation methods with each passing term, incorporating the following updates:
Incorporated a preparation process for the Mock Board Meeting (Mock BM) conducted during the program
Adopted a flipped learning methodology, where participants engage in advanced discussions and dialogue on the day of the session based on their prior independent study
Decided to assign a dedicated facilitator to accompany each participating non-profit organization throughout the program period
Program on the Day of the Gathering
Check-in and Icebreaker
Following the opening, the first program involved participants from the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd terms sitting in a circle to check in, share recent updates, and express their current feelings.
On the day, nearly 10 people from each term gathered. We witnessed scenes of people who had only met online rejoicing at being able to talk in person for the first time, an atmosphere like a reunion for those meeting again after several years, and others exchanging information as they had already begun collaborating in different settings.
Furthermore, we were pleasantly surprised at World in You that nearly 50 participants from the Board Fellow Program gathered from all over the country, including Kyushu, Osaka, and Aichi, as well as the Tokyo metropolitan area where the venue was located, transcending their respective terms.
After the check-in, it was time for an icebreaker to interact with everyone gathered at the venue.
Everyone who had been sitting in a circle stood up, moved their chairs to the walls, and we set aside time to introduce themselves to as many people as possible within a few minutes.
Introduction and Reflection of Each Organization
Once the self-introductions settled down, each organization shared their introductions and reflections after going through the Board Fellow Program.
Yukio Oshima from NPO Kizuna Mail Project, Chihiro Umino from NPO Arrow Arrow, Masami Otsuki from Non-profit Corporation Polaris, Aya Tanaka from NPO Mama Work Research Institute/Work Step Inc., Sayaka Kankorongo Watanabe from NPO WELgee, and Yusuke Arai from NPO Sankakusha took the stage.
In addition, Yamamoto read the materials prepared by the three organizations that could not attend due to distance or other reasons: Certified NPO Florence, NPO Madre Bonita, and NPO Waffle.
From the reflections of each organization, we heard comments such as, We participated during a turning point for the organization, we were able to receive frank and candid opinions from the Mock BM participants, and although we were actually hesitant about participating until the very end, the organization changed significantly after joining.
BFP from a Research Perspective
Two individuals, Yu Ishida from Kwansei Gakuin University and Aya Okada from Tohoku University, have been participating in the Board Fellow Program since the first cohort, and are currently engaged in joint research with World in You.
The two also spoke about the social significance of the Board Fellow Program and what has emerged through their ongoing research.
We also learned that this program allows for research from diverse angles such as management, NPOs, social innovation, leadership development, and governance, and that making this program a subject of research itself can constitute interdisciplinary study.
Furthermore, they mentioned that the following common themes have emerged from interview surveys with organizations participating in the Board Fellow Program.
The gratitude for having someone to consult with or a collaborator regarding management and the board. They were able to gain a sense of relief in not having to carry everything alone.
By welcoming external individuals as mock board members, it facilitated the awareness, verbalization, and communication of the organization's unique values and perceptions that had previously been taken for granted.
Breakout Session Dialogue Time
The final program of the gathering was a breakout session for dialogue.
Open - Space - Technology We set aside time for dialogue by imitating a generative breakout method where each person proposes a theme they want to talk about, forming groups accordingly.
This dialogue method is also called a magnet table because of how people who want to discuss the same topics are gradually drawn together like magnets, and a manual for it is also distributed here.
We planned to hold two rounds with set time limits, but we saw groups where the heat of the conversation did not cool down and dialogue continued, as well as new groups being formed.
After the Gathering
This gathering was the first in-person event for World in You since the summer of 2019.
During these nearly five years, the COVID-19 pandemic created a situation where it was difficult to hold in-person events, and during that time, the first to third cohorts of the Board Fellow Program were conducted in a completely online format.
I am very happy that after the third cohort, we were able to gather many friends from all over the country and create an opportunity for interaction across cohorts.
I would like to express my gratitude to everyone who participated on the day, the team at BIRTH LAB for providing the venue, and the friends who rushed over to help as staff on the day.
Also, a challenge we took on during this gathering, and one I am glad we attempted, was trying to create an inclusive space for the children of our participants.
We had a babysitter join us on the day, and we saw participants and children interacting in various parts of the venue.
Each of our daily activities is connected to the future of the society in which the children who came to the venue today will live.
Furthermore, as we continue our activities, I realize daily the importance of ensuring that our own lives and the lives of those of us working to solve social issues are also rich and fulfilling.
I hope that everyone who participated this time was able to feel that way of being, even if just a little.
Having completed its third term, the Board Fellow Program is currently in the process of considering how to proceed from the fourth term onwards, while continuing our joint research with Mr. Ishida and Ms. Okada.
We hope to connect to the next steps together with everyone who attended on the day and everyone reading this article, so if you are interested, please send us a message. We look forward to the opportunity to work together.
Message from Mr. Suzuki of BIRTH LAB
The venue for this event, BIRTH LAB, is a community space where Osamu Suzuki, a participant in the 3rd Board Fellow Program, is involved as part of the management team. Nearly 50 people gathered from all over the country, creating a vibrant atmosphere.
Below is a message we received from Mr. Suzuki after the gathering.
Thank you so much for the six-month Board Fellow Program. Both the space World In You wanted to create and the expressions of the people who gathered there were wonderful, and I was impressed by how much everyone seemed to be enjoying themselves.
I also participated in the 3rd term, and as I realized how fun it is to meet and talk to people I wanted to greet in person, I felt it was great to be involved in creating that space as a venue staff member.
I manage the venue daily as a "place to realize one's aspirations," and I enjoy it immensely every time that is realized.
There was an atmosphere that suggested something would be born from here, so I would like to continue managing this place as a location where that can happen. I look forward to our continued relationship.
Message from Yamamoto of World in You
This was a very moving time, as it was the first in-person event for World in You in five years. It also coincided with my own move back to Japan after living in the United States for 15 years, and I would like to continue combining the power of real-life and online interactions even further.
The Board Fellow Program is a very challenging endeavor, and I am filled with gratitude and joy for everyone who has joined us for these three years and who remains connected with us now.
Thank you to everyone who came, those who couldn't make it this time, and the entire team! I hope that the thoughts, passions, and worlds (worlds) that people carry will connect and become a force for improving society, and that seeds will be sown and trees will grow from this place today.
